◊ (The Purification of Rukia and Ichigo ▫Part 2▫) ◊
¤(August 15th)¤ ∆(Kurosaki Home, Dinner Table)∆ Kurosaki Ichigo
"So we can really talk to mom Ichi-nii?" Yuzu said so happily.
"According to what Rukia said, yeah." I said calmly.
"Why?" Karin asked. "And how?" She asked again.
"It's a holiday when all of the souls are sent back to earth in a body of sorts to be remembered in their human days, to remember and receive family blessings. It's the holiday of souls. Or so Rukia said." I answered her.
"Where is Kuchiki-san?" My dad asked looking around.
"She's off talking with her friends who were allowed to visit from her homeland."
"How does Rukia know about this?" Yuzu asked.
"Where she comes from, they hold all native holidays very closely and this one is also celebrated in some places in Japan. But all souls get to return." I answered blankly.
"Ah, then we surely bring Rukia with us!" Dad said happily.
"What?" I said confused.
"But of course, we are Rukia's family as well now, and she is like family and she has been taking care of us, surely your mother would want to meet the person who has been taking care of her family so well, correct?" Dad asked.
"Yeah, I guess but, Rukia…"
"Then you must retrieve Kuchiki-san." He said pointing to the door.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." I said with a sigh as I walked toward the park.
"Hey Ichigo, so how'd it go over with your family?" Rukia asked.
"They asked questioned but I answered then." She smiled.
"Good," She was very happy that I could see my mom again, I was happy but telling her the next part would be complicated.
"Also, they want you to come with us." Rukia jumped back from me.
"What, why?" She asked.
"They insist that the person who has taken such good care of our family is someone mom would want to meet and with that I couldn't say no, so you're coming." Rukia sighed and nodded. She knew how much this meant to my family. "Thanks," I said.
"As always, you've welcome." She answered and turned back to Hitsuguya and Hinamori.
"You can stay at my place." I said. "Dad already knew that friends of Rukia's from her homeland would be stopping by so I suspect they'll have everything ready." Rukia had on her face to emotions, one 'more people to take care of, and two, 'thanks'.
"Anon Kurosaki-san, arigato." Hinamori said bowing.
"Yeah whatever, don't think too much of it, Rukia stayed in my closet at least you guys get rooms." I said lazily.
"Homeland?" Hitsuguya asked confused.
"Oh yeah, Rukia's story that. Rukia's cover story is she came from a place where you aren't allowed to leave to somewhere else without permission and only for so long and she was hurt and stayed to long and she's abandoned that place."
"What's the name of the place?" Hinamori asked confused. Everyone sighed except Rukia.
"I never did give it a name did I?" Rukia asked me.
"Yeah you did, Evelyn. I think you forget everything you make up on the spot." I said sighing.
"Oh yeah, well it's Evelyn." She said happily.
"Okay, Rukia, Hinamori, may I speak to Ichigo alone?" Hitsuguya asked politely trying to get me aside.
"Of course Hitsuguya, I'll take Hinamori back Ichigo's place and you two come when you're ready." Rukia said as if it was her home walking away with Hinamori beside her.
After the girls were out of sight, "What did you need to talk to me about?" I asked him.
"The events of soul society," I nodded understanding the importance of it.
"Aizen and Tosen have two prime victims in mind to kill."
"Who?" I said seriously.
"Hinamori Momo and Kuchiki Rukia," I gasped, the very same two girls we were protecting were wanted by the number one sources of evil on Soul Society. "Yeah, it's that bad. That's why I need you to protect both of them here." I sighed, stupid Hitsuguya, Hinamori won't leave you.
"You do know that Hinamori won't leave your side, right?" I said.
"Of course, that's why I'm leaving her." He said blantly.
"Are you sure that's the smartest thing to do, she's already scarred enough from what Rukia tells me, her last friend left, her savior and boyfriend leaving her now, that could off set her for life." He smirked.
"I know, but for her safety, I have to." He blinked. "When she finds out, give her this?" He handed me a letter.
"You aren't planning on coming back, she'll notice right away." He nodded.
"Of course I'm not leaving now, tonight after I've made sure she is well taken care of. You will take care of her right Ichigo?" He said strongly.
"Of course, remember in order for Hinamori to get taken, Rukia would be in as much danger. I'll guard them both with my life, on my word and honor." I said to him.
"Good, do harm to either of them and you won't be at a half-half state anymore, you'll be in Soul Society filling out paperwork as soon as I find out." I nodded, I understood planly.
"Rukia's going back in 2 days, what do I do with Hinamori then?" I asked.
"She can't," I sighed.
"She has to because of her captain."
"She's endangering herself and her life." He replied strongly.
"He saved her life, she'd risk her own easily for him." I answered. "Plus, he wants her to replace him." I added.
"I didn't get that in the letter, did you read it backwards?" Hitsuguya asked rhetorically.
"No, he said for her to keep improving so one day, she could take over. He meant in one day, which is when he'd soon be dying state. He wants her to save the people, and become captain."
"And I want you to," He said straight to me.
"We have lost three captains in the recent times and now Ukitake, Hinamori took of division 5, Rukia takes 13 and you take the remaining division, division 3." Hitsuguya answered plainly.
"What of the remaining division?" I asked.
"Abarai Renji takes it, he achieved Bankai so he's completely qualified like you. Hinamori and Rukia are training toward it but have not yet but this is temporary to get them used to it."
"I can't just leave my whole life here for Soul Society, or leave Kon in my body or leave my family and neither can Rukia. My family needs her." Hitsuguya grabbed me by my neck, which was surprising because he was shorter than me.
"Get this through your head, if Aizen and Tosen take over, your family along with everyone else will die no Shinigami, no hollows, no transition and equal balance between worlds, anyone who dies with be eternally lost. So get over, this is the matter of the whole world, not just your family. And if you want your family to live you'll come with me back with Rukia and Hinamori after tomorrow."
"If it's so urgent, why not today?" He laughed.
"You have family matters and Soul Society is closed tomorrow." He said smirking.
"Oh yeah, well let's return. So you leave tonight and I bring them back in another day, right?" He nodded and we returned to my house.
∆(Ichigo's House)∆
Nothing was unusual more then normal, the table had been stretched to add an additional two people to the table. The seating arrangement was on one side our two Shinigami friends, Rukia and myself on the other were Ishida, Inoue, Yuzu, Karin and my dad on the end of the table. It was crowded.
I walked into the house to find that Rukia had dressed Hinamori in human clothes to better fit her into society. Hitsuguya was surprised upon seeing Hinamori in human clothes but Rukia before he got a chance to look at her pushed us out of the door and closed it behind her.
Rukia handed me a set of clothing that looked extremely small for me. "Are these mine?" I asked. She smacked me on top of my head.
"No, they're not, Hinamori and I went shopping on the way here to get clothes for herself and Hitsuguya so they'd fit it. Take him through the window to change and come in her again." I shrugged and did as she told me.
I entered the house this time with an extremely surprised Hitsuguya; he had gotten a good look at Hinamori, which caused her to look down at the food and blush crazily, which was funny to watch. It was like me the first time we found Rukia close she could actually fit properly. The gawking for me was not proper in her eyes and she knocked me out for a while. I found it cruel. However, Hinamori didn't seem to mind except the fact she was blushing crazily.
"Hitsuguya!" Rukia yelled and coughed. He stood up straight and he nodded.
"Arigato, Rukia," He mumbled under his breath while passing her chair to get to his spot at the table. Hinamori was still staring at her food as if it was the most interesting this in the world. (A/N: This is my favorite line in other's fics, where people blush and the writer uses this, its classic.) "Gomen Nasai, Hinamori." He said after he had been seated a little while.
"Do you guys know about the holiday where souls return?" Yuzu asked curiously. I mentally smacked myself. Hinamori and Hitsuguya looked up and nodded.
"Of course we do," Hitsuguya, answered happily.
"Do you know that I'll get to see my mother again?" Yuzu said happily.
"Yeah, that's great. I'm sure your family is all very excited." Hinamori answered happily back to the girl.
"I know, it's great. We're bringing Rukia-chan with us as well?" The Shinigami pair looked at Rukia.
"Oh yeah, I don't think it would be polite to leave these two here alone while I go off with you. I'm sorry but it's not polite." Hitsuguya noticed this and tried to cover her but someone was two steps ahead of him.
"Nonsense Rukia, it's quite important to us that you come. Your friends can go out somewhere or come along, right Ichigo?" I choked on my food. I heard Rukia laugh and she placed my finger along my spinal cord and I swallowed and sighed.
"Yeah, of course they will be fine, they've been her before on their own. But they could come with us too if they need to." I finished saying and continued eating.
"Okay then it's settled now let's return to the meal Rukia cooked for us." Dad said happily. "Now about sleeping arrangements, we'll put our next two guests in the other guest rooms and that's settled." It was too easy, not a problem or word needed to be said.
Rukia and I helped Hitsuguya and Hinamori out with preparing for the night, the strange thing was that they had brought Gigai with them and Rukia laughed when she realized that the both needed to bathe. Rukia knew that day one.
"Stupid Showers," Hitsuguya said annoyed.
"They have showers in soul society too, what's the deal about them here?" I asked.
"They're so annoying, I feel so shallow here." I wonder if that's how Rukia feels, shallow. An empty shell.
"How does Rukia handle it, you're just a soul in a Gigai."
"That's all humans are don't forget." I reminded him.
"Yeah but it's so different from my original body, so empty." I nodded, I understood ever since I had died I felt a sort of looseness in my body.
"You get over it trust me, I'm dead all the same, I'm just in my natural body." He laid in the bed. "You going to be okay leaving Hinamori with me?" I asked.
"I know you'll take care of her, but I'm worried none the less. I don't really know what it's like to be a human here, I use to but those memories eventually fade away. I'm worried how she'll handle tomorrow returning to her past life." I said.
"I forgot that she won't be staying, she'll be returning to her past life, won't you?" He shook his head.
"I'm returning to Soul Society with my key off so they can't take me back, I'm not registered so I'll be left there to work on things. Don't forget to take of yourself and them." He said and then closed his eyes and turned over and I walked out to find Rukia smiling as she watched Hinamori hop on the bed like a child.
"Hinamori, you might want to sleep, your Gigai needs it." She stopped and nodded.
"Where is Shiro-chan's room?" Her nickname for him was hilarious. Rukia smacked me to stop laughing in my head.
"Oh yeah, it's right next door." I answered. She nodded and Rukia and I left her to sleep.
∆ (Hitsuguya's Room)∆ Hitsuguya Toshiro
As I did every night, well for the last few months since Hinamori had awoken from her coma. I had checked on her, this was the first of the 6 times I check on her a night. I check on her every hour while she sleeps from midnight to 6am. This was the first. I only do this because she has horrible nightmares and she wakes up screaming and crying. I wish I could say that I had stopped many of her nightmares but it seems that every time I'm in there she's fine. It's happened on nights a little while after I leave she'll come into my room crying.
When she cried it's not as if I can be angry with her. I'm sure if I was her, I'd feel the same way after what he did to her. I wish I could kill him but I know that I can't. He's out of my reach, he's far away but he still has as much effect on Hinamori as he always has, and it upsets me.
I remember the first night after she had returned to her own sleeping quarters, her first nightmare. Of course I wasn't asleep that night, I was on her roof, but when I saw her come out, I returned to my quarters to make sure she didn't know I was spying on her.
Ж (Flashback) Ж
I sat in my room and laid in my bed as if I was asleep, but I knew I wasn't but hopefully she would think I was which worked in two ways. She wouldn't bother me which I didn't want or she'd wake me up which was fine by me.
She quietly opened her door, thought I couldn't hear her. I never could, she concealed her reiatsu to well and she could walk in a room without being noticed but she was at a sad condition I could feel it.
She was crying and she came toward the bed. She sat down in the opposite side of the bed of where I was laying and crawled in with me and she snuggled up next to me. After a while I pretended to wake up because I felt her and turned around. I blinked as though it was a dream. "Momo Hinamori, what are you doing in my bed?" I said as out of it as I could.
"Please?" That was all the poor sad girl, my friend had to say to me to get me to give it to her any need.
"Sure whatever," she snuggled up closer to me and smiled.
"Thank you Shiro-chan," She said happily.
"You're welcome bed-wetter-Momo, but we're going to talk about this in the morning understand?" She nodded and if possible got closer to me and fell asleep. It felt nice to be near her again, not in a physical sense but in a emotional sense. She had come to me when she needed it. She was lost and she wanted me to find her but she had forgotten that she was never lost, just astray.
The next morning she sat on the edge of her bed looking as sad as she had when she had come in last night and looked out the window. "Can I stay here forever?" She asked.
I walked over to her and sat next to and put my hands on hers. "Sorry but I'm pretty sure someone in the Gotei 13 would have something against me sleeping with another vice-captain." I said to her.
"But Shiro-chan?" She asked.
"I'm sorry but you know how it is here Hinamori, you can't sleep with me, it makes trouble for me and you, but I'll make you a promise." She nodded. "If you ever need me or have a bad dream you can come here anytime, got that?" she nodded and hugged me.
"Thank you Shiro-chan, thanks for everything." He nodded and hugged her back. After that night he promised himself to take care of her, makes sure she was never sad to the best he could but only many a nights in-between the times he'd check on her, she'd come to him and then they'd be back to where they started but he didn't mind.
Ж (Flashback Over) Ж
I walked over to her bedside and looked at her sleeping gently and calmly. I had only ever seen her in the middle of a nightmare once; it was the night after the one where she had come to her crying.
Ж (Flashback) Ж
I told myself that she'd be sleeping fine and I was worrying for nothing but I was sadly mistake she was in a hot sweat and fighting her way, her reiatsu was extremely pulsing as if she was dying there. She was crying and whimpering.
I walked into her room and I wasn't her only friend here one might consider more about what I was doing then I did. I walked over to her and took her by the shoulders and shook her awake.
"Ahhhh!" She yelled in fear and she looked around and she cried in my arms. I held her delicate figure in my arms as she cried. It didn't take her but a few seconds to calm her into my arms and rest.
"It's alright Momo, it's alright." I said stroking her gently. She was the most fragile thing in all the universes right now. She could brake if I did anything without the most extreme caution but somehow my mind said to me that no matter what I did, she'd accept it and be all right with it.
"He could have used me in so many ways for all I was, was a pawn to him. He used me and abused me and I was so useless defenseless and played as a pawn Shiro-chan, I couldn't help it. I was so confused." She said, she was fighting a battle with herself and loosing horribly.
Back in the nights at the hospital she would sleep there quietly and I'd stay there, at that point she was semiconscious. Unohana had warned me of the delicate state I was in, any friendship or trust with anything was a big thing. She was a child in her simplest terms.
Ж (Flashback Over) Ж
I sat down next to her in her bed and she was smiling, perfectly content and happy in her own world of her own creation. I leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "I don't mean to hurt you today Hinamori but I've got to go take care of him because he hurt you and I can't let him do that. Be good and stay happy. I'll be back I promise. I love you Bed-Wetter-Momo-chan." I said as I walked out of the room and left her to sleep in her peaceful state.
∆ (August 15th) ∆ VP: None
Everyone in the house woke-up as normal, with exception of one person. Hinamori Momo, she was in tears as she ran to the kitchen to seek assistance from her newest close friend, Kuchiki Rukia.
"It's alright; he needs to protect Soul Society. We all do." Rukia responded but Hinamori was more then hurt she was abandoned.
"What's up this morning?" Ichigo asked.
"Ichigo," Rukia scolded for his inappropriate behavior.
"What's up with her?" He asked. Rukia really sometimes worried about that guy.
"Hitsuguya had to return to Soul Society last night, leaving her here." She said with as much sympathy as she could.
"Oh yeah, he told me had to yesterday. He told me something else but I forgot." Rukia sighed again. "Oh yeah," He pulled a letter out of his pocket and set it in Hinamori's hands.
Dear Hinamori,
I'm extremely sorry I had to leave but it was important to defend Soul Society at it's weakest point and I want you to stay there and return to your past life and live happily remembering it. I'll be fine, don't worry so much. I love you Hinamori and take care of yourself. –Hitsuguya Toshiro
"I have to go help." She said blankly.
"No," Ichigo said strongly.
"But I have to help," She said in a pleading way.
"Sorry but no, Hitsuguya told me directly to watch over you two until I take you two back tomorrow so eat up, and we'll go on with the days plans as normal." She sighed and was about to cry, and then she did.
"Ichigo, stop being so senseless." Rukia said annoyed. Hinamori went to her room to cry and she did. "I should really smack you for being so insensitive toward her feelings. After all you'd do the same thing to me." She said.
"Would not?" She laughed.
"I need to save the world, let's just drop you off with Renji so I can take care of this. You and Hitsuguya are exactly the same, extremely young and strong Shinigami who are blunt and are very insensitive when it comes to points." She said.
"Whatever, let's eat." She sighed, exactly her point.
∆(The River)∆
Hinamori had stayed inside back at the house due to her depression, Rukia had used a two way seal so she couldn't leave and no one could get in that way that Hinamori was extremely safe.
They proceeded to the river and when it was noon it became dark and a soul appeared. "My family, it's nice to see you all again." Ichigo felt Rukia shaking and her step behind him. Rukia had seen their mom before but not the actually spirit.
"Hello my family, and who is this, Ichigo?" His mom asked.
"Mom, Kuchiki Rukia, Rukia, my mom," He said sort of telling her to stay calm. Rukia stepped out from behind him and she held out her hand in a formal way.
"You're a soul and Gigai aren't you?" she asked. Rukia nodded shyly wondering if anyone heard them. Gigai means body so soul and body would sound quite normal but Rukia understood what she meant. "And so is my son now?" Rukia nodded again. "You look happy, are you my son?" She asked.
Ichigo stepped beside Rukia and held her hand. "Yeah I'm happy, a lot happier then I've been in a long time." He looked through the side of his face at Rukia."
"Then I suppose that I have her to thank for this?" She asked.
"Yeah, Rukia's done it all, for everyone really."
"Is that true?" she asked the remainder of her family.
Yuzu was first to speak up. "Yeah mommy, Rukia takes care of laundry, cooking, cleaning and helps run the hospital. But best of all she made Ichi-nii really happy. He was all sulking before she came along and now he's happy all the time. Except when Rukia scolds him."
"Is that so, so you're saying that are whole family is being taken care of her?" Everyone nodded.
"Ms. Kuchiki is a gift from heaven. She showed up one day and asked if she could stay here because she knew her friend Ichigo lived her and she knew she could find her place here. She's been the best thing that could have happened to us since you were taken from us." She smiled and Rukia smiled too.
"Thank you so much dear but can I ask why you'd do all this for my family?" She asked.
"I honestly don't know, I thought it was because of Ichigo needing help, or him being depressed or seeing how hard Yuzu and Karin had or it or how Mr. Kurosaki never got to spend time with the family or something like that but then I realized that I just wanted to help." She smiled again.
"I'm glad you found a place to live and I'm glad that it was with them. So how are you all doing, it's clear that everyone has a easy life since Rukia came along but anything new happen?" She asked.
"Not really, we just spend time as a family and meeting all of Rukia and Ichigo's extremely weird friends." Yuzu said happily.
"How are they weird?"
"Well this guy he was all staring at his partner and friend but Rukia yelled his name and he apologized to her and sat down, it was all weird. It was like Rukia when she showed up in a fancy dress. Or when they went on their first date."
"Date?" She asked.
"Yeah, me and Rukia, we're kind of dating." Ichigo said awkwardly.
"That's good for you both, it seems everything is fine and I had nothing to worry about. Thank you so much Rukia." Rukia nodded and smiled. "Especially for bringing Ichigo happiness after all these years and for taking care of my family. I owe you so much."
"Everyone in the world owes Rukia something, it's a fact." Ichigo said.
"Be polite Ichigo," Rukia scolded him.
"Yeah whatever," He responded.
"It seems that she's exactly what you need eh, Ichigo. I'm happy you've finally let yourself grow up into the nice young man I knew you'd be."
"Rukia, take care of yourself and him for me. He's a handful. And Karin, do me a bit more talkative with me sometime." Karin nodded, she just didn't want to cry. Then Karin broke into tears and her mom stood there.
Rukia took a step away from Ichigo's grasp and sat next to Karin. "Its okay, come on Karin, talk with your mom. It's okay to cry, it really is." She responded.
"Thanks," Karin said. It had been so long it had left Karin and Yuzu empty but they were now full. Just like how empty Ichigo was before Rukia had completed him.
"I could never thank you enough for what you have done Rukia, you are one amazing girl. And I hope that you live happily." She said smiling.
"Bye mom," Ichigo said holding Rukia in his arms in front of him.
"Bye mommy," Karin and Yuzu said.
"Bye my dear," Ichigo's dad said to his wife as she disappeared as the night came to and end after the long 4 hours of talking on and on.
A/N: The whole mom thing was a bit underplayed but it was just to show how much Rukia had taken care of the family and how that she played a huge role in their lives and the next part is going to be good trust me.